


Understanding

by cecilantro



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 05:50:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cecilantro/pseuds/cecilantro
Summary: Fjord is the only one that understands boundaries





	Understanding

**Author's Note:**

> hi i love that every time one of them (nott) says something emotional or shares smt and everyone takes the piss, Fjord chips in like "im grateful that you shared this" hes a therapist  
> the widomauk is like 1.5 paragraphs and thats it ooh

“C’mon,” Fjord says, tired, yanks Nott up by the scruff of her neck, “Let’s get goin’, we could all do with some fuckin’ sleep.”   
Nott struggles weakly against his hold.   
“Put me down. I can walk! I’m not a child!”   
Fjord chuckles, dimly, and hefts her up onto his shoulder.   
“No disrespect intended, there, Nott, just that you’re smaller than th’ rest of us, an’ you were knocked around hard. Thought you might appreciate the lift.”   
Nott huffs, fakes a little irritation, but gives in. She  _ is _ tired, and she knows Fjord means no insult, so she folds her arms on the top of his head and tucks her chin in, supported mostly by Fjord’s hand, she falls asleep.    
Caleb drops into step beside Fjord.   
“It is, it is rare for Nott to sleep so easily. I hope-”   
“No, I understand.” Fjord pats at him lightly, “I know it’s a sign o’ trust, I pay attention, Caleb. I’m grateful that she trusts us enough for this.”   
He skims a look over the group, Molly and Jester are teaming up to tease Yasha and Beau. Caleb gives a breath of amusement.   
“What?” Fjord turns his attention back, Caleb is shaking his head.   
“It is not the  _ us _ that she trusts, Fjord, it is you. You have shown the most restraint and acknowledgement of boundaries, and when you have people such as Nott and I… boundaries are… Important.”   
Fjord smiles, fights the brief swell of pride. It’s all new lessons to learn.   
“I’m glad t’ know that you an’ Nott trust me, then. Thank you, Caleb.”   
“Yes, well, good.” Caleb pats, awkwardly, at Fjords arm, “I will just…”   
He slows his step and slips behind Fjord and Nott in the ranks, behind the clamour of the girls teasing one another, and Molly joins his step at the back of the group.   
Fjord re-steadies Nott, and they continue on their way home.

  
“Fjord,” Caleb catches his wrist on the inside of the tavern, “Would you- would you do me, a favour?”   
“I’m sure I can stretch to it, what do you need?” Fjord flashes him a tired smile, and Caleb returns it, albeit far more nervous than Fjord’s.   
“Would you switch rooms with me, for this evening? I- Mollymauk and I, have, some… business, to discuss.”   
“Ah, don’t be coy with it, Caleb.” Molly materialises at his shoulder, beaming, he slings an arm around Caleb, “Sharing our dramatic, traumatic backstories and talking about our problems. Firm basis for a relationship.”   
“ _ Mollymauk _ .” Caleb hisses, and Molly covers his mouth in shock horror. Fjord’s tired smile widens into almost a grin,   
“S’ok, Molly’s been complainin’ to me for a month over his feelings, ‘course I’d be happy to help y’ out. But why me? Aside from, our room.”   
“Nott trusts you the most.” Caleb shrugs, and turns quickly to kiss Molly’s cheek, “When she wakes up, she’s more likely to relax.”   
“That makes sense, sure, gimme your key.”   
They exchange keys, and platitudes, and continue on their way.

Nott wriggles and grumbles as Fjord picks her off his shoulder.   
“Sorry.” He says, quietly, and she blinks dimly awake as he sets her on her bed.   
He takes a couple of steps back.   
“Fjord? Where’s Caleb? Is he okay?” She’s struggling herself awake, and Fjord waves for her attention to cut her off,   
“Now, now, relax. Caleb’s fine, he’s spendin’ the night with Molly.”   
“Oh, finally.” Nott yawns, and begins to pull her cloak off so that she can crawl into the covers. Fjord chuckles,   
“Though that means he’s taken my bed, would y’ mind too much if I stayed in Caleb’s?”   
Nott pauses, turns to look at him, yellow eyes wide and puzzled and almost glowing the way they reflect the moonlight.   
“No, I don’t mind. Why would I? You’re not going to stab me in the night, are you?”   
That concept has her attention, she perks up, fingers flexing for her hand crossbow. Fjord shakes his head vehemently.   
“‘Course I won’t, Nott, we’re a team now. Workin’ together, remember?”   
Nott squints at him, but seems to decide that she trusts that, because she flumps down to the pillow.   
“Then sleep.” She says, muffled by the feather-filled mouthful she has.   
Fjord nods, though she can’t see it, and gives a soft breath of laughter. He pulls her blanket up over her shoulders.   
“Thank you.”   
And he turns away to strip his armor off and climb into Caleb’s bed. Sleep comes quickly after that.

He wakes up in the morning to shuffling, and finds Nott darting, light-footed, around him and tidying the room whilst he sleeps. He sits up, and she freezes, halfway through picking a spare pair of Caleb’s patched-up pants from the floor,   
“O-Oh! Morning, Fjord.”   
Deer in the torchlight is a good comparison for her right now, her eyes are wide as she stares at him, stock still.    
“What’re y’ up to there, Nott?”He leans across the bed toward her, and she scrambles back a little,   
“I didn’t realise how much a mess Caleb and I make until, um… company.”   
She goes back, cautiously, to picking the clothes off of the floor. Fjord chuckles warmly,    
“You’ve been in mine an’ Molly’s room, we ain’t much different. Did y’ know, when we go t’ bed, Molly just throws his pants and boots wherever the fuck he wants?”   
“Really?” Nott pulls a face, “At least Caleb isn’t that bad. He just folds them up and puts them down and doesn’t pick them up again.”   
“We should go an’ check on them really, y’ never know what they’ll do to each other.”   
“Do you think Molly would hurt Caleb?” Nott tosses Caleb’s pants over the end of her bed, panic bristles through her, and Fjord shakes his head.   
“Y’ gotta stop being so suspicious of us, Nott, I don’t think Molly would hurt Caleb unless he asked for it.” and follows it with a devious, muffled chuckle, a smirk. It takes Nott a moment of panic to work out the meaning of Fjord’s goof, and she gives a long sigh when she does. Half relief, half exasperation.   
“If you think Caleb’s safe with Molly, then I trust you on it.” She decides on eventually, backhanding away the inference with little more than a shudder, “They can wait ‘til after breakfast, though.”   
“That’s a fuckin’  _ excellent _ idea, Nott, I’m  _ hungry _ .”   
“Beau and Jester are probably already down there, I can’t hear them fighting next door.”   
One of her long ears twitches and flicks, it makes Fjord smile, just a little.   
“Then let’s go an’ join ‘em, we can catch up on Molly an’ Caleb afterwards.”

“I hope,” Caleb says, voice muffled by Molly’s chest, “That Fjord can convince Nott to wait a while before barelling in to make sure I’m alive.”   
“Fjord’s magic, darling, I’m sure he’ll manage it.” Molly’s smile is evident in his voice, he trails his fingertips up and down Caleb’s back. Casual, gentle.   
“We should still get up and go to get some breakfast, I’m sure you’re hungry too.” and he lifts his head to rest his chin on Molly’s chest, looking up at him. Fingers tangle in his hair.   
“Ravenous.” Molly grins, wide and sharp and a little dangerous, “Not that I haven’t eaten enough.”   
Caleb huffs and turns red in the same split second, turns his face back to being buried in Molly’s chest.   
“Maybe we  _ do not _ make those jokes around the others, ja?”   
“Of course, sweetheart.” Molly tugs at Caleb until he slides up and Molly can kiss him, “Now let’s go and check on Nott.”   
Caleb breathes out, slow, and smiles.   
“Thank you.”


End file.
